Besides the poor, a large number of rich families are now involved in the profitable business.

The poor and middle class families are doing the business by taking loan from different non-government organisaations (NGOs) and the government's co-operative department.

The rich people are involved mainly as financiers lenders to small farms. They finance small farmers on profit-sharing basis. They hardly come to the farms.

Some small farm owners this correspondent talked to said they are earning good profit by selling ducks and eggs even by taking loans from financiers. Most of them repay their loan in time.

Fourteen year-old Amin, son of a day labourer in Bariura village in Sarail upazila said he along with his farther had started a duck farm last year. His father took loan from a local money lender at a high interest rate. They have to pay Tk 3000 as interest per month..

After paying loan installments, they are earning around Tk 3200.00 every month, Amin said.

Abul Hashem, a day labourer at Shahbajpur village in the same upazila said he started a duck farm by taking loan from a local moneylender. He has to give sixty percent of the profit to the financier. He is now earning a profit of at least Tk 1000.00 every month after meeting all costs and repaying the loan installment.

Like many, Abdul Khalek of Akhaura, Arif of Shuhagpur in Ashuganj, Abdul Kadir of Biddakukl in Nabinagar, Karam Chand of Shahjadapur in Sarail upazila are now better off from duck farming.

During a recent visit to some areas many of the small farmers said they chose duck farming because it is easy to rear ducks in flood plains where natural feed is available almost round the year. Usually ducks are not attacked with diseases, they said.

The profitable business has lured many in unemployed and educated youths.

According to sources at Brahmabaria District Livestock Office, there are 1,034 farms with at least 1,87,590 ducks in the district.

The farmers said certain diseases break out on the winter season which affect ducks. The livestock department should give more attention to encourage the profitable business. Medicines for diseases should be supplied for free, they said.

When contracted, officials at the District Livestock Office said they have taken measures to prevent ducks from attack of diseases. They vaccinated 76,350 ducks in last three months.